Scars
by ForbiddenRyuu
Summary: When Hiei begins acting strangely and disappearing at night, Kurama and Yusuke follow him and find out something that should have been uncovered long ago. But, some scars are harder to heal than they are to hide...
1. Prologue

Story Name: Scars

Author: ForbiddenRyuu

Rating: M

"Talking"

'_Thinking'_

Chapter: Prologue

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_Drip._

_Drip._

_Drip._

This was the sound that kept the nightmares away.

_Drip._

_Drip._

This was the sound that kept the darkness at bay.

_Drip._

This was the sound that made his monsters stop chasing him.

Half-lidded and weary eyes shone through the darkness, showing almost no recognition to the outside world apart from the slight twitch that occurred as his ears took in a sound. Back leaning against the rough bark of a tree, the sliver of moon in the sky gave barely any light to see. But it was still enough the see the dark huddle of a figure in its position.

The hilt of a katana was lightly gripped in one hand, the blade awkwardly resting in his darkly-clothed lap. The other hand, dangling at his side, held nothing except the thick rivulets of crimson liquid that flowed down and collectedly dripped down into the undergrowth.

From a normal perspective, one would think that this demon had flitted to this treetop to seek refuge and heal his wounds, and if they had known the truth it would seem almost unreal.

That this majestic and powerful demon had come here in order to hear the sound of his crimson energy feed the ground beneath him.

_Drip._

_Drip._

_Drip._

That the constant and repetitive sound of pattering liquid onto the forest floor would restrain the small demon from falling into the dark abyss that was his scarred heart.

Only here in this darkness could he find solace from the darkness in his mind. And it didn't matter that his arms and legs would be scarred forever.

As long as he heard the sound he craved.

_Drip._

_Drip._

_Drip._

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ForbiddenRyuu: Ok, I have returned! For those of you who read my previous stories, I apologize for them seeing as they were Mary-Sue nastiness and I deleted them. I felt like they weren't worth being put up on the site and I plan not to rewrite them at all. But, now I have started this story as a muse reawakening now that School and Homework are letting up.

Please let me know what you think and leave me a review! Hopefully, if I get at least 1 good review I'll continue

P.S. I am also looking for a Beta, so feel free to PM me or put it in the review or whatever, Thanks!


	2. Chapter 1

Story Name: Scars

Author: ForbiddenRyuu

Rating: M

"Talking"

_'Thinking'_

Chapter: 1

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[Yusuke POV]

"OW! Dammit!"

"You idiot! You aren't supposed to hold it for that long!"

"Shaddup Urameshi!"

Glassware rattled lightly on the shelves as the youngest Kuwabara hopped around blowing on his injured hands. The oven was shut by his irate friend. Somehow, the redhead had managed to fail at the simple task of taking a pan out of the oven.

"What was I supposed to do? It's frickin' hot!" Kuwabara snapped at Yusuke, who was picking through the half-burnt, half-batter _thing _that was supposed to be a cake.

"Do it faster and you don't get burned, Stupid!"

Just as the taller teen stopped to tackle the other, a pair of oven mitts came from the doorway to smack him in the face. Glaring in the direction of the offender, Kuwabara instantly stopped when he realized that it was his recently woken sister, Shizuru.

"Not that I'm curious, but what the _hell _are you idiots doing cooking at 8 am in the morning? On a _Saturday_?" Complete with eyebrow twitch and all, the elder Kuwabara sibling surveyed the kitchen in a less-than-pleased manner, taking in the various baking utensils and food spills strewn throughout the cramped apartment kitchen.

"Jeez, it's that early already? We didn't even get to sleep . . . And Fox-Boy should be here soon, too. Dude, baking a cake takes forever, and this thing doesn't look anything like it does on the box." Yusuke raised a brow at the nice pretty picture on the box, and then he looked back to the nice crispy charcoal that sat in the pan on the counter. What a waste of time.

Shaking slightly, Shizuru raised a fist, before releasing a whoosh of breath and turning back in the direction of her bedroom.

"Why don't you taste it? Bet you it's amazing. And after you're done, there better not be a single grain of sugar left in my kitchen. End of discussion." Ending her sentence with a tone that promised death, the brunette disappeared down the hall leaving the two teens in the disaster zone.

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[Kurama POV]

"So let me get this straight. Whoever ate the most wouldn't have to clean up?"

Emerald eyes wearily glanced in the direction of the sounds of the carrot-top heaving his guts in the bathroom. Yusuke flashed him a smirk and pointed to the practically empty pan as Kurama scrubbed and washed the surrounding surfaces.

"See, I'm learning! I knew you'd show up and clean it anyways so I didn't bother eating any."

"I won't always be around to clean up your messes, Yusuke. One day I really will leave you to clean up after yourself," Kurama sighed in exasperation.

"Yep, and that day is not today. You missed a spot."

The kitsune rolled his eyes and moved on to the dishes in the sink. How had they managed to use six bowls? He faintly heard Yusuke chatter on about Kuwabara's 'queasy face' but he chose not to listen to it. His hair was tied back with one of Shizuru's borrowed hair ties, and his nose wrinkled at the mix of smoke, cleaning detergents and whatever was concocted between the two friends.

"Remind me again why you decided to make a cake before we headed to Genkai's?" Kurama asked.

"It was for Yukina, his 'one true love', although I seriously think she'd puke if she was in the same general area of that thing."

Snickering echoed throughout the room, preceding a book flying out from the doorway and knocking the sniggering teen to the floor. 'Shut up Urameshi!' faintly came from the hallway before Kurama sighed.

"Don't bleed on the floor, Yusuke, I just cleaned."

Soon, a neat stack of gleaming bowls and utensils were sitting next to an equally clean sink and counters. Kurama stripped his hands of the rubber cleaning gloves and deposited them onto the counter before turning to face a somewhat green and swaying Kuwabara next to the head-shorter Yusuke.

"Ready to go?" After receiving two nods of confirmation, Kurama slung his small pack over his shoulder and led the teens out into the morning sun.

Walking down to the train station was as uneventful as usual, simply walking and maneuvering around the throngs of people who were walking to their own destinations. Once the trio boarded the train, they sat down at a table booth. Kurama saw an old lady and her young grandchildren standing and offered the booth to them. The woman and kids looked grateful for it, though Yusuke grumbled about having to stand. An elbow from Kuwabara and a short lecture on chivalry gained a black eye for Kuwabara and a better mood for Yusuke. Kurama smiled wryly.

_'Better than hearing Yusuke whining for the entire trip, I suppose.'_

When they arrived at their stop and got off the train, Kurama briefly noted that Kuwabara was still in his school uniform (did he really like blue that much?) and Yusuke was in jeans and a white shirt. His clothing was much more worn than Kurama's and had several patches where it seemed as though another contact with the ground would leave gaping holes. A shame really, that the boy was too stubborn to admit that he desperately needed new clothes.

This reminded Kurama of another person who needed new clothing . . .

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[Hiei POV]

Crimson eyes shooting open, Hiei lurched off his branch into a crouching position. He glared around the canopy around him, his joints aching in protest as he tried to move and wake. His breathing was coming in harsh, shallow pants and dried blood crackled on his forearm, fresh blood beginning to seep through the reopened wound.

The eyes, which so many saw full of fire and anger, stared almost hauntingly at his arm as it leaked the sticky red fluid. Its metallic scent rose up to greet his nose, making it twitch slightly. He turned to the tree branch beside the one he slept on and retrieved his cloak before disappearing from his perch.

Once he had reached the small stream, the demon kneeled and cupped a small amount of water in his hands. He was standing next to a pool which was formed by a dip in the creek bed. Splashing the frigid water onto his face, the strands of hair that were previously soaked with sweat were plastered to his forehead. Pushing his energy into his pointer finger, he ran it across his cut from the night before and effectively cauterized the wound. It would cause more tissue damage in the long run, but at least it stopped the bleeding.

Stripping himself of his shirt and boots, leaving his katana and other possessions behind on dry land, the small demon waded into the water. Looking down upon his arms, he curled his upper lip in disgust. What was previously ivory skin was now crisscrossed with old scars and freshly healing wounds.

Growling angrily, he lowered his arms into the water and scrubbed furiously at the marks, making his skin turn an angry red and new blood ooze into the water. He kept scrubbing until his flesh was raw and throbbing with pain. By now his toes were beginning to go numb, and he paused, taking the time to admire his arms. The prominent muscles were littered with scars and thin red lines all along his biceps and forearms. If he bothered to look, his calves would look much the same. He flexed lightly and watched as a small stream of blood dribbled down to fall to the water with a quiet _drip drip. Such a soothing sound . . ._

Scoffing, Hiei dunked his head under the water and quickly scrubbed his hair free of dirt. Then he surfaced and stumbled his way back to shore with numb legs and aching arms.

Shaking his head and flaring his energy to dry himself, Hiei began to dress. He ignored the holes in his cloak and the frayed ends of his shirt. Blood dripped unnoticed to the ground as he put on his worn out clothing. Rolling his shoulders back, he returned to his normal posture and his eyes hardened – transforming him back into figure that seemed more recognizable as the great and terrible Hiei.

He had to go to the temple in order to see Yukina. She had invited him for lunch with the others. He wasn't really hungry, but he'd go to please Yukina.

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[Kurama POV]

Upon entering the temple, Yusuke and Kuwabara were swept off in different directions. Kuwabara followed his 'pinky-string of love' to find Yukina, and Yusuke was literally swept off his feet, courtesy of one monstrous blue bird called Puu.

Rolling his eyes, Kurama continued walking and found his way into the compound. He used his sensitive nose to track the delicious aroma of freshly cooked food into the kitchen.

As soon as he entered the kitchen, red eyes glanced up at him followed by a warm smile. The owner of that smile was scrubbing at dishes in the sink. There was a basket with a folded picnic blanket and several dishes of food laid out on the counter beside it.

"Hello, Kurama. It's wonderful that you could make it today. I hope Yusuke and Kazuma are with you?" Yukina asked, her soft voice crossing the kitchen to the redhead who stood in the doorway.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Yukina. And yes, Yusuke and Kuwabara are somewhere around here."

Walking over to the basket half full of food, Kurama began to place lids on top of the bento boxes Yukina had made. Noticing what the kitsune was doing, Yukina turned and said, "I was going to do that after I finished washing these dishes, but it would be a great help if you could pack the rest in." Receiving a nod, Yukina finished scrubbing the dish and began to wash the sides of the sink.

Neatly stacking the boxes into the large basket, Kurama felt the weight of each bento as he packed them. He was somewhat surprised at how heavy they were. He was not sure how much the ice apparition expected them to eat, but it was definitely a fair amount.

Finally satisfied with the cleanliness of both the sink and the kitchenware, Yukina proceeded to remove the rubber cleaning gloves she wore and began to dry the dishes. Kurama's ears twitched and Yukina looked up with a smile moments before thundering steps carried down the hall, approaching the room. Kuwabara's face suddenly appeared at the doorway, along with two outstretched arms holding a bouquet of flowers for the much smaller koorime.

"Yukina! My love! I have found you at last because of our fateful connection!"

Kurama barely had time to ponder where on earth the carrot-top had managed to find a bouquet before Kuwabara was roughly pushed aside.

"As in Genkai told him to stop being an idiot and look in the kitchen," Yusuke said dismissively, extricating a blue feather from his black hair and letting it float to the floor.

Kuwabara squawked indignantly and it ultimately ended up in a scuffle that resulted in some ruined flowers. Thank goodness Kurama was there. Sighing as Kuwabara pathetically held out the array of mashed flowers, Kurama took it in his hands and used his energy to return the floral arrangement back into something that could still be used as a present. Yukina took the flowers, thanked the slightly happier Kuwabara and placed the bouquet in a vase full of water.

Turning around, Yukina clasped her hands together behind her back and beamed brightly at all three of the boys in the kitchen.

"Are we ready to go? Master Genkai said that she would meet up with us later. And I am not sure when Mister Hiei was going to get here, but he promised to come."

At this, Yusuke perked.

"You mean Shorty's coming? Awesome! Maybe he'll be up for a fight!" Pumping a fist in the air, he zoomed out of the kitchen, knocking over Kuwabara in the process ("Urameshi!") and went outside into the courtyard screaming for Hiei to 'get his scrawny little ass out of the tree' and fight him.

After Kuwabara picked himself back up off the floor and chased after Yusuke, Kurama noticed the air of distress emitting from Yukina.

"Is something the matter?" he asked concernedly.

Snapped from her thoughts, Yukina shook her head. The sense of worry did not cease.

"I just hope that Mister Hiei is feeling better today," she said.

Kurama cocked an eyebrow.

"Was he feeling sick lately?"

"Well, he did not say anything about it," she said with a frown and another shake of her head, "but he is paler than usual and he doesn't run as fast. I thought he just didn't want to say anything about it. He probably didn't want to worry us."

A yelp of 'Ouch! You bit me!' rang from outside and brought Yukina rushing outside to see if they were okay.

Kurama stared pensively after the ice apparition as she went to care for Kuwabara's bleeding arm. Perhaps she was right. Hiei did seem to reveal more of himself around his sister, and a sickness could explain why Hiei hadn't been stopping by his house for the better part of two months. What bothered him was that a stronger demon meant a stronger immune system, and if Hiei had gotten sick then it would have to have been a devastating illness – one that most likely would have required Kurama's medical abilities. Hiei was only a child in demon years, and Youko's thousands of years provided an extensive library of medicinal plants stored up in Kurama's brain. Why hadn't Hiei come to him for help?

A rapping on the screen behind him brought the kitsune out of his reverie, and he looked up to see Yusuke beckoning him outside. Picking up the basket, he grasped the thin picnic blanket and strode out the door after his friends.  
**  
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Ryuu: Whoo! Next chapter done! Took long enough . . . Unfortunately, I have caught this nasty sickness (that made me nearly pass out at school) and I slept through about 10-12 hours of time that could have been spent working on this so that greatly increased the time it took me to write. However, it is finished now!

And I want to give big thanks to my new beta, Anomura! She's the best!

Please leave me a review! (It's hard to know what I need to improve on if you guys don't tell me!)


	3. Chapter 2

Story Name: Scars

Author: ForbiddenRyuu

Rating: M

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Chapter: 2

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[Kurama POV]

After catching up with the light-haired Yukina, Kurama set a steady pace as to not get ahead. His mind was still whirring and trying to find the explanation for Hiei's state, but he couldn't settle on an answer without actually seeing the apparition first.

Basket jostling against him as he walked, Kurama felt his hair rustle in the slight breeze. The day was turning out to be bright and sunny, however a few gray clouds hovered at the edges of the blue sky. Making a mental reminder of nature's warning, he predicted that by tonight a drizzle would start.

Yusuke and Kuwabara were walking behind himself and Yukina, and he could faintly hear the word 'fight' involved. His mind hadn't really strayed, but it became focused on Hiei's predicament as they kept walking. He was concerned that Hiei was infected with a Demon World illness, and it would not doubt take its toll on the small demon. His unfathomable memory began stirring as he remembered remedies for all ailments, of all different varieties.

"…rama?"

He was snapped out of his thoughts by a voice snapping at him. Blinking, Kurama turned to look at all three companions as they stared quizzically at him. The kitsune realized that he was so deep in his thought about a counter against a specific poison that he had continued walking after their party had reached the designated picnic spot. They were standing underneath a large cherry tree which was looking ready to bloom – a few were already. The buds and branches created a large amount of shade – the perfect place to hold a picnic.

Giving a small chuckle, the red head took the few steps back towards where his friends were waiting, and he gave an apologetic smile. "Forgive me, I was thinking about a college exam I have to take soon." The lie flowed easily out of his mouth, and the incident was all but forgotten.

"Ugh! Don't even get me started on my Calculus teacher! He's insane!" Kuwabara expressed his frustrations by pulling on his carrot-colored hair while the male next to him smirked. "Ya' see? This is why I didn't go to college! I dunno' why you did, I'm surprised you haven't dropped out yet!"

"Oh yeah?"

Rolling his eyes at the taller of the two pounced (not gracefully in the least) on Yusuke, and it turned quickly into a scuffle of who was the 'stupider' one.

Helping Yukina unfold and lay out the blanket was simple, and soon he was helping the bluenette hand out heavy bento boxes, along with a small pitcher of lemonade. Soon everyone was chowing down on the delicious meal, some eating much louder and messier than others (cough Kuwabara cough Yusuke cough cough).

Kurama's eye spotted Yukina looking sadly at the two boxes left in the bottom of the basket along with two cups and two pairs of chopsticks. His gaze drifted towards the forest, and searched for any telltale signs that Hiei was coming. His search was rewarded by a few birds flying hurriedly up and above the treetops, a sign that Hiei was racing towards the picnic and his sister.

As my ears twitched at the sound of boots landing softly on a tree branch, my back stiffened and eyes widened a fraction. Nose scrunched slightly, the metallic tang of blood registered on my senses.

Hiei's blood.

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[Hiei POV]

Reaching the treeline at the edge of Genkai's forest, I saw the group settled out under a sakura. I panted lightly in order to catch my breath, the running from the creek had me slightly winded.

Disgusted with my lack of physical endurance, I vowed to start running more often. My scowl reinstated on my face, I planted a foot firmly on the branch I stood on, coiling my muscles and leaping off the branch, aiming for the shade-giving tree.

'Dammit!'

There was less power in the jump then I thought, and i fell short, my landing point would probably be about two-thirds of the way to the tree, and i prepared to jump off again and ultimately reach the branch I wanted.

Hitting the ground sent a bolt of pain shooting up my leg, and I grit my teeth as the feeling of old wounds reopening reached me. However, I continued and I landed on one of the medium branches.

A branch too low, albeit thick and supporting, would be too close to those wretched fools. One higher up would prove too thin and it would most likely bend under my weight, dropping me to the ground.

I glanced down and noted the large bento boxes, and my own stomach gave a weak clench at the thought of food. Ignoring it, I settled down with my back against the trunk of the sakura, eyes closing, unaware to the cuts on my leg having opening. Warm fluid dribbled down my leg, soaking my pants. My sleeves were already drenched in the fluid from my fresh slices on my forearms, and I was too oblivious to notice.

That was my first mistake.

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[Yusuke POV]

Taking a break from shoveling Yukina's delicious food into my mouth, I chewed, using my chopsticks to brush off a stray piece of rice off my chin. Swallowing, I opened my mouth to comment of her cooking, and I froze.

Now, I know that I was still new to my demon senses and stuff, but I could still tell that the powerful coppery smell wafting into my nose was blood.

"Phew! Hey Kurama, you smell that?"

A heard a snort come from my side as the monkey decided to comment.

"Ya sure it ain't you Urameshi?"

Grains of rice flew from his mouth along with a few other chewed up pieces of food. I'm sure that if the three of us who could smell blood weren't preoccupied, someone (probably Kurama) would comment on how disgusting that was.

"Nah, smells like blood."

Kuwabara must have finally realized his comment had not been returned with an angry one, and I'm being serious. He let his hands and bento rest in his lap, swallowing his mouthful and looking around.

To my left Kurama raised his head and looked up into the branches. "Hiei, would you care to join us?" I heard a snort and i glanced up into the tree too.

Wow, I barely noticed that he had arrived. I had felt his energy so weakly that i assumed that he had just been too far off to sense is strongly. My eyebrows raised. He had the energy signal of someone who was seriously injured or dying, as it gave weak, fluttering pulses but generally stayed at a barely able to sense level.

My concern for the midget intensified when I realized the the scent of blood was strongest in his direction, and I called out.

"Hey! Shorty! You been out killing demons or something? You reek of blood!" I waved a hand in front of my nose to prove my point.

I saw him turn his head and glare down at me, and I simply saw two red eyes staring down at me angrily. However, his eyes gave me chills. Something was wrong with them, but I just couldn't put my finger on it. They seemed different, but his eyes flickered away sooner then I could get a good long look at them.

Yukina, set both her bento and chopsticks don neatly, before turning to Hiei, neck craned up at an awkward angle. "Excuse me, Mister Hiei? If you have any wounds I would be more than willing to heal you..." She trailed off, and by this point all of us were looking up into the tree.

"I'm uninjured. I an not in need of your assistance."

His deep voice carried down, and it was icy cold and devoid of emotion. Yukina shifted into a look of sadness, and Kuwabara instantly tensed up. Glaring hotly up at the small demon, the carrot top squawked indignantly.

"Hey you! Don't you dare talk to sweet Yukina like that!"

Kuwabara shot up and shook an angry fist his direction, "If you're gonna say stuff like that, then why don't you come down here and fight me!"

I stood as well and put a hand on Kuwabara's arm, "I don't think that's such a good idea man."

He shrugged off my hand and continued to glare angrily upwards.

Hiei snorted, raised his arms and crossing them behind his head, face turned away with a scowl firmly in place. "Hn. Not even worth my time."

Squawking 'What was that?' Kuwabara raced forward to the tree and tried climbing upwards to reach the small demon. Yukina's mouth turned into a 'o' as she watch Kazuma try to hoist himself up through the branches, and I simply raised an eyebrow at his pathetic attempts.

Glaring downwards as Kuwabara actually managed to pull himself up and start climbing, Hiei's lips curled into a sneer and his raised himself up and stood, using the tree trunk as a support, and went to leave.

"I don't even see why I came. It's pointless."

We all watched as he jumped down from the tree and landed off towards the treeline, jumping again and vanishing through the trees. Strange, I thought for sure he would just do a large jump and land in the trees, but he was short by a long way...

Kuwabara cursed as he finally reached where Hiei was standing moments ago, staring off where he had disappeared into the foliage.

A strange feeling on the palm of his hand cause Kuwabara to avert his gaze back to the branch he was holding onto, the one Hiei had been perched on, and was horrified to discover what was causing the sticky sensation.

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[Kurama POV]

Hearing a crash, The remaining turned our heads from looking where Hiei had disappeared into the forest and saw Kuwabara now sprawled out on the ground and groaning in pain.

"Oh no! Kazuma! Are you alright?" Yukina quickly walked over to the teen, fretting over broken bones, concussions, injuries, scrapes. That is, before he sat up.

"Guys! Blood! The whole branch where Shorty was sitting was covered in it!" He held out his hands, palms facing up and they were smeared in a dark maroon.

My spine stiffened and the hairs on the back of my neck rose, and I swiftly stood and walked over to the tree, climbing up and reached said branch in a matter of seconds. Surveying the wood, my stomach churned and the image was painted in my mind. There was blood up near where his head would have rested against the tree, and where his legs had been. A few drops sliding a short distance down the side of the branch, watching as one dripped down to land on a lower branch.

However, the blood was not in small pools or as a liquid as if he had literally come here and bleed openly. This looked more as if it was on his garments or clothing, and had been pressed against the wood and left an imprint. Which meant that his clothes were soaked with enough blood to leave this much of a distinct imprint as to drip.

This was bad.

"I'm going after him."

It would not be safe to let him run off into the forest, especially if he was so weak as not be able to jump from this sakura to the treeline. It meant he had lost a fair amount of blood to be weakening his abilities and therefore highly dangerous. I worked my way down and landed gracefully on the grass next to Kuwabara (who was explaining to Yukina he was perfectly fine).

I looked towards Yusuke, "I assume you are coming to?"

"Hell yeah! I ain't letting you go without me!" He said loudly, clenching a fist.

"As to be expected." I replied, looking back towards the two lovebirds on the ground.

"Yukina, Kuwabara, You stay here. Thankyou for the lovely and delicious meal Yukina, I'm sorry I can't stay to enjoy it." She nodded and a sad look came across her face, presumably thinking of the way Hiei acted.

"Oi!"

Turning, I saw Yusuke had already walked a few paces towards the forest, and called to me.

"Let's go."

We took off running after the Youkai, concern and worry growing inside us as we thought about Hiei and his predicament. We didn't even know how he had gained the wounds to bleed that much, and we did not know if there was some sort of demon prowling around Genkai's forest.

Dispelling our thoughts, we continued to move forwards, chasing after the demon who ran from us in the darkening light, and deeper into the darkening forest.

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[Genkai POV]

Having had walked down to the end of the stairs to post a sign about trespassing, I continued walking up the stairs, my old knees now aching slightly in protest of the long exercise. I sighed, knowing that I had lived a long life, especially for a human, and that soon my day of passing would come. I had written my will, and my lands would be well taken care of when it was passed on to Yukina. It would most likely be the home of Kuwabara too, in time.

I was broken out of my musings by my psychic abilities triggering. I paused in my walking, and turned my head out to my forested area, on the eastern side of the compound.

Was that, Hiei's aura? It was incredibly weak, nothing that the powerful demon usually radiated. My brow creased, and I also felt Kurama and Yusuke's aura not far behind Hiei's, leading me to believe that something happened, and it wasn't pleasant either.

A low rumbling overhead caused me to look up. Grey clouds hung over the sky, making the previously well lit area become darker, and as the sun began to recede behind the dark clouds, a ominous feeling came over me.

I began walking again, not wanting to be caught in the rain that was bound to start up at some point tonight. Somehow, I felt as thought something was about to change for the worse.

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Ryuu: Wow, It's been a long time hasn't it? I really want to apologize to all those people who have been waiting (since October _) for another chapter, but I had some family stuff and personal problems to sort through, but I think I'm back!

I'd like to give a big thanks to all the people who reviewed, and added me to Story Alerts, Favorited my Stories, and generally helped me with feedback.

However, I'd like to give a GIANT shout out to pupeez4eva (love for you man, thanks so much!) who really got my ass in gear. 2 notification in 5 days asking for a new chapter, and i was like 'eh, what the hell lets do it' so i transferred my old files, and managed to write this ENTIRE chapter in probably 6 hours.

Unfortunately, I haven't sent it to my beta (who has probably forgotten I exist at this point x3) but because it is 4 am in the morning, I think it'll be fine? Oh well, I'm going to try and make a regular update, but I'll have the next chapter up soon! (Hopefully ^_^")

Leave me a review, it gives me motivation! (And lets me know someone actually reads this stuff _ )


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